STOP THE PRESSES!
Bethenny Frankel is dating a married man!
Actually… you can start the presses again. Frankel is here to explain.
As previously reported, Frankel has been dating New York banker Dennis Shields since late 2015, with sources confirming to E! News the semi-serious nature of their relationship.
Although Shields would be a stranger to those who watch The Real Housewives of New York online because he’s yet to appear, Bethenny’s new man has still become a source of contention between Frankel and co-star Luann de Lesseps.
In what way?
On a recent installment of the Bravo hit, Frankel went after the newly-engaged Luann for dating a man that Ramona Singer had also gone out with.
de Lesseps did not respond nicely to this diss, telling E! News:
“She calls me a hypocrite, but really she’s the hypocrite. I’m the one getting married, I’m engaged, and Bethenny’s still trying to get a divorce.”
de Lesseps then added that Frankel is the one “dating married men, not me.”
Whoa there. Shot fired!
With her reputation on the line, Frankel felt a need to hop on Twitter and do something surprising: she verified Luann’s account.
“I’m dating a separated married man,” she wrote on Tuesday, referring to Shields, who was previously married to Jill Schwartzberg in 1990 when he was 23 years old.
Bethenny then referenced her ongoing legal battle with estranged husband Jason Hoppy and added:
“I’m married. I went to high school w his ex wife 30 yrs ago. Any other questions?”
However, while it may seem as if Frankel is constantly at war with her co-stars and as if these women all hate each other, Bethenny made a point to Tweet the contrary.
“You’d be surprised at how much I care about them,” she wrote. “We’ve been through a lot. #donthatetheplayahatethegame”
We wouldn’t be surprised at all actually. This is all scripted by producers. But whatever.